Because long wavelengths penetrate and propagate long distances, but carry low bandwidth.

Why would you need to only receive?

Because transmitting gives away a position of a stealth platform like a sub or B-2, and it may be technologically infeasible to transmit without a
very large antenna system which increases detection cross section.

originally posted by: amkia
Sounds more like «REVEALING» the capabilities of this 30 years old ugly bird rather than «UPGRADING» as the military technologies are always half
a century ahead of public knowledge.

Wow I did not know that there were strategic nuclear bombers in WWI. Seriously though.

And that's the point of my post in response to this claim: "military technologies are always half a century ahead of public knowledge".

I absolutely detest this statement when people make it because it has no logic to it, nor do these people have any evidence to support it. But I'm
really not trying to derail the thread (my original post was impulsive) so I'll leave it at that.

Now they probably are, back then they weren't, the manhattan project was huge and had many leaks, they've gotten better at hiding though that's for
sure.

While I don't think we are 50 years ahead yet the US definitely can get there with the lessons learned with current programs. If they can hide
a program from concept to retirement now and can keep that trend going, there's no telling how far we can get. That is as long as the R&D money keeps
flowing into them.
Maybe in 50 years we'll be 100 years ahead?

Well the real reason they are getting the VLF is a stop gap measure until the MUOS is online. Its five satellites and four ground stations that will
eventually get rid of the VLF reliance if I remember correctly.

If you were to pick up on the good points raised and suggested you would see the wood through the trees!

- The original B2 mission purpose was to deliver it's nuclear weapons and return to base undetected following receipt of it's targeting data from
various methods including EAM via VLF.

- The designers would have known that a VLF receiver would be required to receive EAM until weapons are released but after weapons release there is no
need for EAM messages to be received as all bombs would have been dropped on primary and secondary target.

- Therefore this new requirement which is apparently to allow the B2 to receive VLF after weapons release is nonsense. The real reason may be that the
mission profile has changed to require the 'hunting' of VLF transmissions from a low observable platform before targeting the source with strategic
weapons. They might be retasking the B2 from a pre-designated target strike platform to a dynamic mission hunter/killer.

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